Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict on death row in connection with the assassination of the former Punjab Chief Minister, Beant Singh, has expressed his desire to be hanged.

Rajoana, a Babbar Khalsa International terrorist, has in a four-page open letter said he had neither appealed for mercy nor asked anyone to do that for him.

In the past also, Rajoana had refused to appeal against his death sentence.

In a letter, written from Patiala jail recently, he reasserted his readiness to go to the gallows. He sent the letter through his sister.

The letter puts the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in a fix as the party had lobbied with Central government for commutation of his death sentence.

“I won’t bow before Congress”

“With this letter, I want to make my position clear once again that I am not ready to bow before the Congress. I have neither pleaded for mercy nor will I do it in future. They can test my determination at any time,” the letter stated.

Rajoana was a party to the assassination of Beant Singh and 16 others. They were killed by a human bomb at the Punjab civil secretariat on August 31, 1995. Rajoana was sentenced to death in 2006.

Notably, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal had lobbied with the Central government to seek commutation of the death sentence.

Rajoana’s hanging was scheduled to take place on March 31, 2012 but was postponed in the wake of a review petition moved before the President by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

The petition is pending with the President.

Beant Singh is credited with fighting terrorism with an iron fist along with the then Punjab police chief, K.P.S. Gill.

@ Rajoana : You can bang your head against prison walls for easy exit as Congress will play with you like a cat with a mouse. They learnt it from their British masters who were expert in pretending to be upholders of freedom & democracy but not hesitating in gunning down 1000's of innocent women & children in Jallianwala Bagh. Sikhs are too innocent & emotional to understand all this.

from:
Anish Khindri

Posted on: Feb 26, 2013 at 13:16 IST

Let the law take its course swifter.....

from:
vijayan

Posted on: Feb 25, 2013 at 23:46 IST

I think Julio Ribeiro should be mentioned along with those who helped eradicate terrorism from Punjab. He is the one who modernized the Punjab Police's arsenal.

from:
Sudhanshu Vyas

Posted on: Feb 25, 2013 at 12:39 IST

A Terrorist accepting his part of assasinating the ex-cheif minister of Punjab and still he is not hanged. Come on. The great nation always try to give reason for anything.

from:
Ansary

Posted on: Feb 25, 2013 at 12:32 IST

Hats Off to Rajaona ! One who is clear he is ready to face any sentence for what he did with definite purpose and dare decision. Not others who do it under "dictates" from "terrorist" groups BUT seek mercy on being caught and convicted ! Death sentence, once awarded, MUST be implemented without much delay to avoid waste of time and resources of Govt !!

from:
Radhik Hairam

Posted on: Feb 25, 2013 at 09:12 IST

I like the quality of content presented to its readers by Hindu. I strongly believe that journalism should be unbiased, and void of jounalists' personal opinions, which I find here. However I wish you exercised more discretion in picking photos of individuals covered in your articles, more so in articles like this, to make sure the individuals do not look like stars or somebody admirable. We do not want malleable personalities in our nation to get drawn to his views, or ideology. Doing so might help in stopping glorifying individuals who can go to any extent to do what they believe is right (which might not necessarily align with our constitution's definitions
).

from:
Jay

Posted on: Feb 25, 2013 at 07:23 IST

Does Balwant Singh Rajoana has the religious right to keep the headress while being hanged? It is a disgrace for the Sikhs to hang this terrorist with the headress on. For the prison, the headress interfere with hanging.

from:
Davis K. Thanjan

Posted on: Feb 25, 2013 at 07:22 IST

Would the President reject the SGPC mercy petition for this man and
expedite his execution?
It is high time that the Government considers amending the law to provide for deciding on mercy petitions by various authorities within one month to relieve the prisoner of uncertainty.Also when the finally decides no further appeals or tossing the papers back and forth should be allowed because it is an insult to the Head of State to have his decision questioned.